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SJ Berwin Advises ukbetting plc on its Offer for TEAMtalk Media Group plc

Tuesday 16th July 2002

SJ Berwin represented ukbetting plc in connection with its £13.7 million offer for the shares in TEAMtalk Media Group plc, which offer became wholly unconditional on Monday 15 July 2002.

Starting as a hostile bid, the offer was subsequently increased and recommended by the TEAMtalk board. As a reverse takeover, the offer required ukbetting, with TEAMtalk as its new subsidiary, to apply for re-admission to AIM. Re-admission also took place on 15 July 2002.

ukbetting plc is a digital wagering and sports content business providing fixed odds and pools betting on sporting events. It was admitted to AIM on 7 August 2001 and has since completed a number of successful acquisitions with a view to creating a business of improved scale in both digital wagering and sports content.

TEAMtalk Media Group plc, which listed on the UKLA Official List on 3 April 2000, generates and distributes original sports content and entertainment over radio, the Internet, mobile and fixed line networks, iTV and satellite networks.

The SJ Berwin team was led by corporate finance partner, Jonathan Djanogly, supported by corporate assistant Marcus Biggs, and banking partner, Gillian Smith, supported by banking assistant Jen Yee Chan. Beeson Gregory made the offer on behalf of ukbetting and UBS Warburg, represented by Nick Syson of Linklaters, provided loan finance to ukbetting.

Commenting on the offer Jonathan Djanogly said: "We are once again delighted to be acting as legal advisers to ukbetting as it develops and expands its business. The successful offer to acquire Teamtalk represents another important step for ukbetting in this process."

Notes:

• SJ Berwin is a full-service international legal practice with more than 470 lawyers across its offices in London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Madrid and Paris.
• With a dedicated European private equity team comprising over 150 full-time corporate private equity lawyers together with support from its other departments, SJ Berwin advises clients on the full-range of private equity business, both in connection with the establishment of private equity funds and their associated incentive schemes, and on MBOs, MBIs, public-to-privates and venture capital investments.
• SJ Berwin recently won "Private Equity Law Firm of the Year: Firm and funds work" at the European Venture Capital Journal Awards and "Best Law Firm (fund documentation)" at the PrivateEquityOnline Awards, and was runner up in the category of "Best Law Firm (transactions)". It has also recently been nominated for "Private International Law Firm of the Year" by Chambers Global.
• SJ Berwin won the European Venture Capital Journal Award for Private Equity Law Firm of the Year 2000, Law Firm of the Year and Property Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2000, and Competition Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2000.

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